Time piece provided with a striker



March 26, 1957 P. SCHWAB TIME PIECE PROVIDED WITH A STRIKER Filed April 2, 1954 III I mu:

WWIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII l llllll'lllllll TKME llECE PRUVEDED WITH A STRIKER Pierre Schwah, Moutier, Switaeriand Application April 2, 1954, Serial No. 420,651

4 Claims. (Cl. 161-4) My invention has for its object a time piece provided with a striker adapted to produce an acoustic signal at any predetermined time.

According to a chief object of my invention, said means include a series of rods radially located underneath the dial in a plane parallel to the latter and adapted to be shifted selectively along their axes so as to occupy either of two positions, an inoperative position and an operative position for which latter the inner end of the radially shifted rod lies in the path of a feeler arm revolving with the hour wheel and adapted to release the alarm signal whenever it engages any of the rods shifted into their operative position.

I have illustrated by way of example in accompanying drawings a preferred embodiment of a time-piece executed in accordance with my invention. In said drawings:

Fig. l is an elevational view of a small clock, part of the dial of which is torn off.

Fig. 2 is a partial cross-section on line II-II through Fig. 1 showing a part of the means which serve for adjusting the striking mechanism.

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the different parts cooperating in the control of the striker.

Fig. 4 is a side view on a larger scale of a detail of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a plan view of a further detail of Fig. 3, the different parts occupying other positions.

Fig. 6 is a cross section on line VI-VI through Fig. 3.

Fig. 7 is a cross section on line VII-VII through Fig. 3. 1

Fig. 8 is a cross-section on line VHF-VIII through Fig. 7.

The small clock illustrated is provided with a striking mechanism which allows the production of an alarm signal at successive predetermined times.

Said clock includes a dial 1 behind which is secured a plate 2 carrying a series of rods 3 arranged radially of the dial and adapted to slide along their sites, on the one hand, inside corresponding castellated guides formed in the upstanding peripheral flange 2a of the plate 2 and, on the other hand, inside similar castellated guides formed in a ring 4 secured to the plate 2 coaxially with the dial and in register with points near the inner ends of the rods 3. An annulus 5 is fitted over the system of rods 3 to hold them in position through engagement therewith at points near their outer ends and on the side opposed to the plate 2 and to the dial 1. Each rod 3 carries at its outer end a control knob 6. These radially sliding rods are adapted each to occupy two selective positions, to wit: an inoperative outer position for which the inner end of the rod extends only slightly inwardly of the ring 4 and an operative inner position into which it is urged inwardly so that its inner end projects on the inside of the ring 4- (Figs. 1 and 2). These rods are prevented from sliding fortuitously by a packing 7 of compressible material inserted between the rods and the plate 2 so as to exert a frictional action on said rods.

The striker 21 (Fig. 3) is normally held fast as will be ited States PatentO disclosed hereinafter by a latch which is released by a mechanism controlled by any of the rods 3 which is then urged inwardly. Said mechanism includes a sleeve 8 frictionally carried by and revolubly mounted on a cylindrical extension 9 of a support 40 rigid with the hour wheel 19, the sleeve axis lying in a plane parallel with the plate. Said support 40 surrounds freely the minute spindle 18 so as not to prevent the independent rotation of the latter. The hour wheel spindle 42 coaxial with the minute spindle 18 is rigid with the support 40 and carries the hour hand 43 (Fig. 1). The revoluble sleeve 8 which is parallel with the plane of the plate 2 and the axis of which lies slightly outside the axis of the spindles 18 and 42 and just underneath the plane defined by the axes of the rods 3 carries two pins radial with reference to the sleeve axis, to wit an outer, feeler pin 11 adapted to be engaged by the inner end of any inwardly shifted rod 3 and an inner pin 12 adapted, when the sleeve 8 is rocked under the action of the impact of an operative inwardly shifted rod 3 against the outer pin 11, to shift the lever 15 as disclosed hereinafter to provide for the release of the latch 24 and thereby of the striker 21. As a matter of fact, the inner pin 12 is located in register with an opening 13 in the hour wheel 19 so that, when the sleeve 8 is rocked around its axis in the direction of the arrow F1 (Fig. 7) upon engagement of the pin 11 by a rod 3, said pin 12 depresses the vertically shiftable Washer 14- lying underneath the hour wheel 10; the washer 14 then in its turn depresses a bent lever 15 integral with an eleastic blade tea which is secured to a stationary part of the clock by a screw to; said lever 15 is further provided with an oifset part or tongue which is folded twice, the free end of which is located, when the rocking lever 15 is in its inoperative non-depressed position, above a star-shaped r wheel 17 revolving in unison with the minute spindle 18 (Fig. 7). When the pin 12 on the sleeve 8 is depressed, it urges the lower end of the tongue 150 as shown in Fig. 7 into the plane of the wheel 17 so asto make it enter the path followed by the projecting parts of said starshaped wheel (Fig. 8). Thus, any subsequent rotation of the star-shaped wheel 17 will shift the tongue 15c and therewith the lever 15 in its own plane in the direction of the arrow 19 (Fig. 3) so as to release the latch 24 through means disclosed hereinafter. The yieldingly mounted lever 15 is provided with an elongated port 20 (Fig. 7) through which passes freely the minute spindle 18 so that the latter does not prevent the rocking of the lever in its own plane under the action of the rotation of the starshaped wheel 17.

The striker 21 of the striking mechanism is driven, through the agency of a conventional escapernent which is not illustrated, by the clock-controlling spring which is enclosed inside the barrel 22. Said striker 21 carries a pin 23 cooperating with the end 24 of the latch 24 to be held normally fast thereby. The latch 24 terminates with a resilient extension 24a the outer end of which is held fast by a securing screw 25. The springiness of this extension 24a urges the latch 24 in the direction of arrow F2 into its inoperative striker-releasing position illustrated in Fig.5. In this inoperative position, the outer end 24 of the latch 24 no longer lies in the path of the pin 23 so that the striker is now operative and may oscillate in the direction of the arrows F3. The spindle of the spring barrel 22 which revolves when the alarm is operative carries a wheel that is not illustrated and which meshes with a pinion 26 the spindle 27 of which is rigid with a radial projection 23 (Figs. 3 and 5). Said projection 28 cooperates with a pin 29 carried by a disc 30 loosely mounted on the said spindle 27. When the striking mechanism is operative, the projection 28 revolves in the direction of the arrow 31 (Fig. 5) and meets the pin 29 so as to constrain the latter to rotate along with it until it engages the latch 24. This pin 29 urges said latch 24 against the resilient action of its extension 24a until the end 24- of the latch has returned into the path of the pin 23 (Fig. 3) so as to thus hold the striker fast. Consequently, pinion 26, spindle 27 and projection 23 are stopped. The pin 29 is thus locked against further motion and holds the latch 24 in its operative locking position.

The striker being thus now locked by the pin 23, it will be released again as soon as a radially shifted rod 3 has rocked the pin-carrying sleeve 8 and thus provided in cooperation with the wheel 17 for the angular shifting of the lever 15 in the direction of the arrow 19. This release of the striker by the shifted lever 15 is obtained through the fact that the outer end 15d of the lever, impinging against the pin 29, pushes it into the position shown in dotted lines 29' so that said pin 29 releases the latch 24. The latter returns then into its inoperative position so that the striking mechanism starts operating again for the duration of one complete revolution of the spindle 27 whereby the projection 28 has returned into the position illustrated in dotted lines in Fig. 3 and has thus driven the pin 29 into its latch-locking position for which the striker is held fast against operation.

It is thus apparent that, through this arrangement, the striking mechanism, when in its inoperative position, is always ready to be released, as provided each time the feeler pin 11 meets a rod 3 which has been shifted into its inner operative position. It is therefore suificient to push in the heads 6 of the selected rods 3 with a view to providing release of the striker at corresponding times. In the example illustrated, the number of rods being equal to forty-eight, it is possible to make the striking mechanism produce a signal every quarter of an hour if desired. The rods 3 are automatically returned into their inoperative position after the desired signal has been produced, said return being performed by a sweeping arm 32 secured to the support 40 and revolving in unison with the hour wheel to the rear of the arm 9. Said arm acts through its biased outer end 32a on the inner ends of the rods 3 when the latter have been shifted inwardly into their operative positions so as to push them radially back into their outer inoperative positions.

According to a modification, it is possible not only to locate the heads 6 of the radial rods outside the dial but to conceal them behind the latter. In this case, it is of advantage to provide a series of apertures arranged annularly in the dial and under which small colored blades secured to the rods 3 are adapted to appear so as to show which of said rods are operative.

What I claim is:

1. In a time piece, the combination of a case, a clockwork therein including an hour wheel provided with a slot extending through it and time-indi ating means, a dial associated with said means, a series of rods extending radially in difierent angular settings With reference to the dial and in a plane parallel to the latter, each of said rods being shiftable independently along the corresponding radius between an inoperative position and an operative position, a leading arm rigid with the hour wheel projecting over the latter on one side thereof and extending in parallelism with a diameter of said hour wheel in proximity with the center of the latter, and registering in succession during the revolution of the hour wheel with the rods, a revoluble tube frictionally fitted over said leading arm, two angularly and longitudinally spaced pins radially rigid with said tube respectively near its outer end and near its inner end, the inner pin registering with the slot in the hour wheel and adapted to be shifted out of and into the latter according to the angular setting of the revoluble tube, the outer pin lying in the path of the inner ends of the operatively positioned rods to be angularly shifted thereby upon radial register between the leading arm and one of said rods, the angular shifting of the outer pin urging the inner pin on the revoluble tube into and through said slot in the hour wheel, a depressible lever yieldingly'secured to the case of the time piece and having a flat portion located under the surface of the hour wheel opposed to the leading arm so as to be depressed by the inner pin when extending through the slot in the hour wheel, a striker controlled by the clockwork, a latch adapted to lock the striker, a pin adapted to engage the latch and urge it into the position in which it locks the striker, the last mentioned pin, when in its operative position lying in register with an end portion of the depressible lever, means controlled by the operation of the striker for shifting the latch-engaging pin into engagement with said latch and means whereby the lever, when depressed, urges the pin back into its latch-releasing position.

2. in a time piece, the combination of a case, a clockwork therein including an hour wheel provided with a slot extending through it and time-indicating means, a dial associated with said means, a series of rods extending radially in diiferent angular settings with reference to the dial and in a plane parallel to the latter, each of said rods being shiftable independently along the corresponding radius between an inoperative position and an operative position, a leading arm rigid with the hour wheel projecting over the latter on one side thereof and extending in parallelism with a diameter of said hour wheel in proximity with the center of the latter, and registering in succession during the revolution of the hour wheel with the rods, a revoluble tube frictionally fitted over said leading arm, two angularly and longitudinally spaced pins radially rigid with said tube respectively near its outer end and near its inner end, the inner pin registering with the slot in the hour wheel and adapted to be shifted out of and into the latter according to the angular setting or" the revoluble tube, the outer pin lying in the path of the inner ends of the operatively positioned rods to be angularlv shifted thereby upon radial register between the lea-dug arm and one of said rods, the angular shifting of the uter pin urging the inner pin on the revoluble tube into .Li'ld through said slot in the hour wheel, a depressible lever yieldingly secured to the case of the time piece and having a fiat portion located under the surface of the hour wheel opposed to the leading arm so as to be depressed by the inner pin when extending through the slot in the hour-wheel, a striker controlled by the clockwork, a latch adapted to lock the striker, a pin adapted to engage the latch and urge it into the position in which it locks the striker, the last-mentioned pin, when in its operative position, lying in register with an end portion of the depressible lever, means controlled by the operation of the striker for shifting the latch-engaging pin into engagement with said latch and means whereby the lever, when depressed, urges the pin back into its latch-releasing position and an arm rigid with the hour wheel to the rear of the leading arm and adapted to engage the successive rods after they have been met by the feeler pin to return them into their inoperative position.

3. In a time piece the combination of a case, a clockwork therein including an hour wheel provided with a slot extending through it and time-indicating means, a dial associated with same means, a series of rods extending radially in different angular settings with reference to the dial and in a plane parallel to the latter, each of said rods being shiftable independently along the corresponding radius between an inoperative position and an operative position, a leading arm rigid with the hour-wheel projecting over the latter on one side thereof and extending in parallelism with a diameter of said hour wheel in proximity with the center of the latter, and registering in succession during the revolution of the hour wheel with the rods, a revoluble tube frictionally fitted over said leading arm, two angularly and longitudinally spaced pins radially rigid with said tube respectively near its outer end and near its inner end, the inner pin registering with the slot in the .hourowheel and adapted to be shifted out greases of and into the latter according to the angular setting of the revoluble tube, the outer pin lying in the path of the inner ends of the operatively positioned rods to be angularly shifted thereby upon radial register between the leading arm and one of said rods, the angular shifting of the outer pin urging the inner pin on the revoluble tube into and through said slot in the hour wheel, a depressible lever yieldingly secured to the case of the time piece and having a flat portion located under the surface of the hour wheel opposed to the leading arm so as to be depressed by the inner pin when extending through the slot in the hour wheel, a striker controlled by the clockwork, a latch adapted to lock the striker, a pin adapted to engage the latch and urge it into the position in which it locks the striker, the last-mentioned pin, when in its operative position lying in register with an end portion of the depressible lever, a rotating spindle controlled by the operation of the striker and rigidly carrying a radial projection, a wheel mounted loose on the spindle and carrying the latch-engaging pin, said projection being adapted to move the latch-engaging pin during its rotation with the spindle so as to shift said latch-engaging pin into engagement with said latch and place the latter in its locking position; and means whereby the depressible lever, when depressed, urges the latch-engaging pin back into its latch-releasing position.

4. In a time-piece, the combination of a case, a clockwork therein including an hour wheel and time-indicating members, said case carrying a dial associated with said time indicating members, a series of rods extending radially in several angular settings in a plane parallel to said dial, each of said rods being shiftable independently along the corresponding radius between an inoperative position and an operative position, a leading arm rigid with the hour wheel and registering in succession during the revolution of the hour wheel with the rods, a revoluble tube frictionally fitted over said leading arm and provided with a radial feeler pin lying in the path of the inner ends of the operatively positioned rods to be angularly Shifted thereby upon radial register between the leading arm and one of said rods in its operative position, a depressible lever yieldingly secured to said case, said lever comprising an offset lug and an operative end part, transmitting means adapted to depress said depressible lever when said revoluble tube with said feeler pin are angularly shifted by meeting any of said rods in its operative position, a striker controlled by the clockwork, a single latch adapted to lock the striker, a movable pin adapted to engage the latch and urge it into the position in which it locks the striker, the last-mentioned pin, when in its operative position, lying in contact with said operative end part of said depressible lever, means controlled by the operation of the striker for moving the latch-engaging pin into engagement with said latch, and means controlled by the clockwork adapted to engage said oflset lug when said lever has been depressed and then to urge the lever across the direction of depression, so that said operative end part thereof moves the latch-engaging pin back into its latch-releasing position.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,024,857 Henrikson Dec. 17, 1935 

